The Gym Pod: Investor Q&A with the founder, Damian Chow

​Many of you will be familiar with The Gym Pod from seeing its distinctive converted yellow shipping containers in the national parks and other areas around Singapore. Powering that very simple setup is a technology business which has enabled scalability across multiple franchises and territories.

​ The Gym Pod technology facilitates the operations of 24-hour accessible, fully unmanned smart gyms that offering exercise spaces with reserved time slots to provide clients with the private personal gym experience at a fraction of the cost. The pods are equipped with traditional strength and cardio equipment and integrate advanced technology and smart mirrors for a seamless user experience, including bookings, payments, and access via a mobile app.

​For gym operators the technology allows the management of all of the above, as well as the control of utilities within the gym such as air-conditioning, security, and timetabling of group classes or personal training sessions.

​The Gym Pod is led by Damian Chow, Lucius Andi Putra, and Peter Lam. Damian Chow, a serial entrepreneur, co-founded and served as COO of Paywhere (sold to Philippine telco PLDT for $5M) before founding The Gym Pod in 2018, expanding it to over 70 pods across 3 countries.  Lucius Andi Putra, with 14 years of experience in software development, leads the technology division, managing remote tech teams and overseeing operations in Indonesia. Peter Lam has driven market expansion and franchise development and is now heading operations in the US.

​They have LOI for master franchises in Hong Kong, Portugal and Spain, as well as firm interest from Australia and multiple other enquiries from around the world.
One purpose of the fundraise is to improve the technology rollout to make the onboarding of these new franchisees easier for everyone concerned, and improve the reporting interface.

​Product Overview

​- 24/7 Accessibility: The Gym Pods are accessible around the clock, providing users the flexibility to work out at any time that suits them.

​- Private Space: Each pod offers a fully private gym environment where users can exercise without the presence of strangers. This setup ensures a space free from external interruptions.

​- Variety of Pods: Different types of pods are available, such as The Spin Pod for virtual spin classes, The Rumble Pod for MMA training, The Flow Pod for HIIT and yoga, The Grit Pod for functional training.

​ - Third parties have taken the technology and adapted for new sports. The Golf Pod for virtual golf simulations has launched in Singapore and there is interest in Table Tennis pods too.

​- Integrated App and Hardware System:

​1. Booking and Payments: The app handles all booking and payment processes seamlessly.

​2. Access Control: Users can unlock doors and control environmental settings (lighting, air conditioning) through the app.

​3. Smart Mirror: Mirrors inside pods offer tailored content and virtual training sessions. Users can customize their workout environment and access training programs through the mirror. The smart mirror can detect motion and potentially integrate with future AI technologies for enhanced user interaction.

​4. Content: The Gym Pod has partnered with trainers to create focused sessions which users can follow through the smart mirrors to work on specific aspects of training.

​- Data Collection and Analytics:

​1. User Data: The system collects detailed user data, including booking history and training metrics.

​2. Analytics Reports: Franchisees and partners receive analytics on sales, user frequency, and other key metrics.

​3. AI Integration: Future plans include integrating AI to provide personalized training recommendations and improve customer service efficiency.

​4. There are already marketing partnerships in place with interested parties such as AMGD who want access to The Gym Pod’s clientele, and these conversations have extended through strategic investors to look at partnerships for the smart mirrors, and sponsored content.

​ Go-to-market strategy

​- Geographic Focus: Initial expansion focuses on regions with high potential, such as Indonesia, leveraging local market knowledge and demand for automated fitness solutions.

​- Strategic Partnerships: Partnering with developers such as CapitaLand, JTC, Ascendas, Frasers Property, and SoilBuild allows The Gym Pod to provide value-added amenities to existing tenants and attract new ones.

​- Marketing channel: The Gym Pod leverages digital marketing, content marketing, and customer retention tactics to build brand awareness and drive user engagement. By utilizing social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, the brand effectively engages with potential users and promotes its offerings. Additionally, The Gym Pod employs promotional campaigns, including introductory offers and seasonal discounts, to encourage new user trials and maintain interest.

​- Initial expansion focuses on regions with high potential, such as Indonesia, leveraging local market knowledge and demand for automated fitness solutions. Focus on high-traffic and unique locations (e.g., transportation hubs, commercial spaces) to maximize visibility and user acquisition.

​ Commercial Overview

​- Pricing Model: The Gym Pod offers a flexible pricing model that includes a pay-per-use option and a monthly subscription. The pay-per-use option costs approximately US$9.50 for a 30-minute session. Additionally, a monthly subscription is available, providing perks such as 30 days of advanced booking, rescheduling benefits, tiered discounted session pricing, and more reward points.

​- Revenue Streams: Revenue streams include franchise fees, monthly software fees, and direct consumer payments.

​ - Future revenue streams will include marketing activations, and as the business model evolves, revenue share from third parties using The Gym Pod as a technology platform to automate their operations, increase their service offerings, manage their bookings, and market to new clients.

​- Financial Performance: Disclosed on call

​ - FY2024 is on track for net profitability (again).

​- Operational Footprint: The Gym Pod has established over 50 public pods in Singapore, 5 pods in the USA, 2 pods in Jakarta, and 1 in Surabaya, with a user base exceeding 140,000 registered users. The others are private pods which were set up for specific companies.

​- Booking Rate: The company is achieving a 95% booking rate with the new pods in Indonesia within the first two weeks of launch.

​ Fundraise Terms

​- Disclosed on call.
- Investments starting from USD 2500.